After confirming that the dungeon had been closed, Seong-jun hurriedly contacted Karl and briefly explained the situation.
If it had been a normal closed dungeon, a notification would have appeared as soon as it was sealed.
However, since this was an abnormal closure caused by a specific device, no alert would have appeared.
Naturally, Karl and his party would have been completely unaware of the current situation.
Now, Seong-jun’s party and Karl’s party met at the entrance of the dungeon.
“A device was activated and the dungeon was closed? Damn it, no wonder the Harpies suddenly disappeared. So that’s what happened. But Seong-jun, how did you know the device was activated?”
At Karl’s question, Seong-jun looked at Yuseon and spoke.
“Yuseon’s spirit was scouting, and it saw the Harpies suddenly moving to one location, just like back in that C-rank dungeon. Then, we saw someone hastily escaping the dungeon. Unfortunately, we couldn’t catch them, but the dungeon was closed shortly after they left, so it’s obvious. That person likely activated the device and escaped before it was sealed.”
Seong-jun did not mention anything regarding Choi Joo-yeon.
Even if he trusted Karl, he was concerned that the information might leak to the outside if he spoke carelessly in front of the other team members.
“What? If you sensed something was wrong that early, you would have had enough time to escape. Why didn’t you leave immediately? Why are you still here?”
Karl scolded Seong-jun for not leaving as soon as he noticed the anomaly.
Seong-jun replied with a smile.
“Of course, we could have done that. But if we had, you and your team members most likely wouldn’t have survived. However, things are different now that my party and I are here.”
Looking at the position of Karl’s party at the time, even if Seong-jun had contacted them immediately, it would have been impossible for them to exit the dungeon in time.
And if Seong-jun’s party had left, leaving only Karl’s group behind, they would have likely faced a grim fate.
However, if Seong-jun and his group joined them, there was plenty of room to turn the situation around.
He judged that with Seong-jun’s powerful buffs and area-of-effect skills, combined with the strong range skills of the A-rank long-distance dealers, they could overcome the situation.
Of course, there was another reason why he stayed, separate from that.
“Besides, I want to secure that device that triggered this situation. Since this is an additional test, it’s probably a more advanced version than the one we saw before.”
The other reason Seong-jun remained was to obtain the device responsible for everything.
He had visited several places that had been converted into closed dungeons through the Association, but unfortunately, they weren’t artificial closures caused by devices.
He had almost given up on finding one, but then this situation occurred.
Therefore, Seong-jun intended to take this opportunity to secure the device.
Furthermore, he planned to keep the secured device for himself instead of handing it over to anyone else.
“Haaa, well, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. So, do you have a plan?”
When asked if he had a plan, Seong-jun shrugged his shoulders.
“Is there much of a plan to be had? First, we search for a place suitable for dealing with a large swarm of Harpies and build a defensive line there. It will take time for all the Harpies in the field to gather and for the full-scale wave to begin. We need to find the optimal location before then.”
It was questionable whether they could find a place capable of handling thousands of Harpies, but for now, there was no other way.
“Then we should divide into teams and scatter. Since the monsters are congregating in one place anyway, there won’t be any combat until the wave starts.”
“Let’s do that. I think it’s better to split into teams of two. The field is wide, so we need to search with as many teams as possible, but it’s a bit risky to go alone. With our current numbers, we can form six teams.”
Seong-jun suggested they form teams of two and search the area.
Combining the four members of Seong-jun’s party and the eight members of Karl’s team, there were twelve people in total.
They could form exactly six teams of two.
“Teams of two. That sounds appropriate. Let’s form the teams and scatter right now. If anyone finds a place that looks good, contact us immediately.”
Seong-jun’s party and Karl’s party quickly began to form teams.
After creating a total of six teams, they scattered in all directions.
***
Seong-jun, who had teamed up with Chang-su, headed toward the north side of the field.
“But Brother, is it really possible with just us? There are only about twelve of us, but there are over 2,000 monsters.”
No matter how he thought about it, the situation felt too desperate.
It might be different if the monsters were scattered in small groups, but if over 2,000 monsters — especially Harpies, which were aerial types — swarmed all at once, could twelve people really handle them?
Based on the situation alone, it seemed impossible.
“Don’t worry. If we build a proper defensive line in a good spot, we can handle it. If I had judged it to be impossible or if I thought the odds were low, I never would have stayed. At the very least, I’m not the kind of selfless person who would sacrifice my life for others. I stayed because I judged we have a good chance of winning, so just listen to me.”
No matter how important Karl Buckman was or how vital it was to secure the device, it wasn’t more important than his own life.
In other words, the fact that Seong-jun decided to stay meant he believed the probability of surviving was higher than the probability of dying.
“Ha… haha, right? You have a plan for everything, don’t you, Brother?”
Chang-su asked with a desperate expression, as if he wanted confirmation.
Seong-jun showed a smile and replied.
“Yeah, I have a plan for everything, so don’t you worry about a thing.”
In truth, there wasn’t a particularly grand plan.
He would find a suitable spot to build a defensive line, turn all the monsters into the Dark Attribute, and then sweep away as many as possible with various area-of-effect skills, starting with God’s Wrath.
It was a plan that was no different from what he had done so far, and it wasn’t even much of a “plan.”
However, that plan-that-wasn’t-really-a-plan was also the most powerful and certain strategy Seong-jun could devise.
While they were moving north and searching the surroundings…
*Static!*
Karl’s voice came through the communication device.
— Seong-jun.
It’s Karl.
An unexpected variable has occurred.
At Karl’s transmission about a variable, Seong-jun asked with a puzzled expression.
“A variable?”
— Our Team 2 discovered a temple while searching the eastern forest.
Judging by the stairs leading inside, there’s a chance it’s a ruin.
I told them to wait for now since we don’t know if another variable might occur if we enter haphazardly.
A temple?
A ruin?
With a massive wave of B-rank aerial monsters like Harpies looming, this was very encouraging news.
However, just like in the Centaur dungeon before, monsters could emerge from within the ruins, so he had told the team that found it not to enter recklessly.
If something went wrong with them, it would create an even bigger hole in their already lacking combat power.
“Oh! A ruin?”
— It’s not confirmed yet.
But even if it’s not a ruin, it looks very suitable for building a defensive line against the Harpies.
If they built a defensive line in a temple, they could efficiently block the Harpies.
Even if it wasn’t a ruin as they hoped, the location itself was significant enough.
“That’s likely the case. Please send the coordinates first. I’ll meet up with Brother Gwang-taek and Yuseon before heading there.”
— Alright, I’ll send them right away.
See you at the temple.
Immediately after the communication ended, the coordinates were transmitted to Seong-jun’s device.
Seong-jun then contacted Gwang-taek and Yuseon, explained the current situation, and told them to regroup quickly.
An old temple nestled deep within the forest.
***
Perhaps because it had been a long time since people had visited, vines were wrapped around everything from the pillars to the roof.
When Seong-jun’s party arrived at the temple, Karl’s group, who had arrived first, came out of the building.
“You’re here?”
At those words, Seong-jun looked at the temple and said, “It really is a temple.”
“It is. Anyway, let’s go inside. If it’s a ruin, it would be better to get the artifacts before the full-scale wave begins.”
It was unknown whether there would be artifacts helpful for a large Harpy wave, but whatever it was, it would be better than nothing.
Karl suggested they finish the ruin exploration before the wave hit if possible.
“Let’s do that.”
With those words, Seong-jun’s party entered the temple.
Once inside, there was a staircase leading to the basement on one side.
“It’s here. We haven’t entered yet because we didn’t know if there would be monsters or traps.”
The hunter who first discovered the temple said, pointing at the stairs.
“Yes, you did well. It’s not common for monsters to appear or traps to be set in ruins, but there’s no harm in being careful. Does anyone here have a trap detection skill?”
In general, it was extremely rare for monsters or traps to be inside ruins.
That’s why he hadn’t worried about traps even once while exploring ruins until now.
In fact, he still thought there was no need to worry, but since the topic had come up, he asked if anyone had any trap-related skills.
At his words, the hunters belonging to Karl’s team all shook their heads.
“Haa, I’m a Sniper, so I don’t have any trap-related skills.”
“I don’t have any trap skills either.”
As expected, no one possessed a skill related to traps.
“It seems no one has a trap detection skill. Honestly, it’s rare for ruins to have traps. Maybe we should just start the exploration — “
Just as Seong-jun was about to suggest they ignore the traps and begin, Yuseon raised her hand.
“Wait! My Spirit Scouting skill reached Level 3 recently, and it gained the ability to detect traps!”
It seemed a trap detection option had been added as the level of the scouting skill rose.
“Oh? Really? That’s a relief. Then, after we enter, Yuseon, you do a full scout. Knowing whether there are traps or not will make it much easier for us to move.”
“Got it.”
He didn’t think there would be traps, but it wasn’t a bad idea to perform trap detection to ease everyone’s anxiety.
Moreover, since the skill’s primary purpose was scouting, she could also check for monsters.
“Let’s go in.”
At Seong-jun’s words, the Tankers Gwang-taek and Jameson Palmer took the lead down the stairs, followed by Karl and the other close-range dealers.
Finally, the healers, including Seong-jun, and the long-distance dealers followed.
A moment later.
*Step!*
As soon as the twelfth hunter stepped off the stairs…
**[You have discovered the hidden space [The Ruined Temple of Hemeias, the Goddess of Light].]**
A notification rang out immediately.
As expected, this place was a ruin.
Meanwhile, hearing the name Hemeias, the Goddess of Light, Seong-jun felt a slight sense of anticipation.
‘Oh? Hemeias, the Goddess of Light? She’s the god that Hermia Jaylin, who gave me this power, served. She even invited me once before and gave me the Goddess’s Blessing. This means something useful for me might come out of this.’
Hemeias, the Goddess of Light, was the god served by Hermia Jaylin, and she was also the god who had invited Seong-jun once to bestow the Goddess’s Blessing upon him.
Because of that, he felt that whatever appeared would be quite useful to him.
Of course, since they were all exploring together, it would be difficult for him to monopolize the items even if they were useful to him.
“It really was a ruin. Yuseon, start scouting immediately, and the rest of us will wait.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Yuseon closed her eyes and cast her scouting skill.
*Whoosh!*
At the same time, Gwang-taek and Jameson tightened their grips on their shields, preparing for any unexpected situation.
After about 15 minutes had passed, Yuseon finally finished scouting and opened her eyes.
“Phew, it’s done. First of all, there are traps.”
At Yuseon’s words that traps existed, Seong-jun asked with a surprised look.
“Really? That’s unexpected. It’s very rare for traps to be set inside ruins. So, do you think we can disarm them?”
When asked if she could disarm them, Yuseon replied with a smile.
“I don’t think we need to disarm them. There are no monsters, and if you go straight down this path, you’ll reach a three-way intersection. Two of the paths have quite a few traps, but the remaining one has none. To reach the innermost part of the ruin, we need to take the path without traps. In other words, we don’t need to go through the trapped paths; we can just go straight to the center through the safe one.”
In short, as long as they took the correct path, they didn’t have to worry about traps.
“Really? That’s great. Yuseon, you lead the way.”
Since there were no monsters and they wouldn’t encounter traps on the right path, there was no need for the Tankers to lead.
It was fastest and cleanest for Yuseon, who knew the way, to take the lead.
“Understood. Follow me.”
As Yuseon took the lead, the rest followed closely behind.
A short while later.
***
The party reached the innermost part of the ruin.
However, a massive stone gate blocked their way.
“Whoa! That stone gate is huge.”
“So the artifacts are sleeping behind this door? Move aside. Let me try opening it.”
Gwang-taek approached the stone gate with a confident expression.
“Hrrraaaaagh!”
He pushed the stone gate with all his might, but it didn’t budge.
“Huh? What’s this? What kind of door doesn’t move at all? Is this even meant to be opened?”
When it didn’t open despite his best efforts, Gwang-taek looked bewildered.
This time, the other Tanker, Jameson Palmer, stepped forward.
“Haha, let me try this time. Since I’m an A-rank, shouldn’t I be a bit better than you?”
Jameson’s words weren’t wrong.
There was a fundamental difference in base stats between B-rank and A-rank.
Moreover, since the effects of the All-in-One artifact, which boosted stats, were applied to everyone, it was true that Jameson’s strength was greater than Gwang-taek’s.
“Hrrraaaaaaaaagh!”
Jameson pushed the stone gate hard with a loud shout.
But this time too, the gate didn’t budge.
“Ugh! Wh-what! Why won’t it open!”
Seeing Jameson like that, Gwang-taek wore a gloating expression.
“Hehehe, A-rank isn’t all that much either.”
After both Gwang-taek and Jameson failed in succession, Karl stepped forward last.
“Haa, let me give it a try.”
Although people called him a half-measure S-rank because he had lost an arm, his actual S-rank stats hadn’t decreased.
Therefore, Karl was the one with the highest strength value among everyone present.
Since his stats were higher even than Seong-jun, who possessed stats comparable to an S-rank, there was no question about it.
Karl stepped forward, raised his right arm, and pushed one side of the stone gate with great force.
“Hnnnngh!”
However, the stone gate still didn’t budge.
“Hmm, it’s not moving at all.”
“Damn it! If an S-rank can’t open it, doesn’t that mean it’s not meant to be opened in the first place?”
After Gwang-taek, Jameson, and even Karl failed, doubts began to arise about whether the door could actually be opened.
‘What is it? The door won’t open? Is it possible that it’s not about strength, but some other condition is required? Hmm, they said this is the temple of Hemeias, the Goddess of Light. Maybe only those who serve Hemeias can open this door. Although I don’t technically serve Hemeias, I have inherited the Essence of Hermia Jaylin, so I should at least be able to try.’
Recalling that this was the temple of Hemeias, the Goddess of Light, Seong-jun decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try opening it himself.
After all, Seong-jun was the successor who had inherited the Essence of the Saintess, Hermia Jaylin.
‘Well, if it works, great. If not, I can look for another way.’
His mind made up, Seong-jun approached the stone gate.
“Let me try.”
Karl made way with a puzzled expression.
“You? I don’t mind you trying, but do you think you can? Even I, who have the highest strength value here, failed.”
Seong-jun looked at the gate and replied.
“I have a feeling it’s not meant to be opened with force. Well, if it doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.”
With that, Seong-jun slowly raised his hand.
As he placed his hand against the stone gate…
*Flash!*
A brilliant light began to pour from Seong-jun’s hand where it touched the gate.
“Whoa! What!”
“Ugh! My eyes!”
And then…
*Rumble!*
The massive stone gate began to slowly open.
Once the gate was fully open, the light that had brightly illuminated the surroundings began to fade.
“Heh! Th-the door really opened!”
“Whoa! What was that just now? How did that happen?”
The hunters could not hide their bewilderment as they looked at the wide-open stone gate.
‘As expected, I was right.’
Since his intuition had proven correct, Seong-jun walked inside with a satisfied smile.
“Let’s go in.”
As Seong-jun stepped past the stone gate and entered, the rest of the party hurriedly tried to follow him.
However…
*Zap! Crack!*
They were blocked by an unknown force and could not enter.
“Gah! What! Why can’t I go in?”
“The door is clearly open, but it feels like something is blocking it!”
“Seong-jun! What’s going on? We can’t get inside!”
While everyone except Seong-jun was filled with confusion, another notification rang in their ears.
**[Only those who possess the power of Hemeias, the Goddess of Light, may enter this place.]**
To enter this area, one had to possess Divine Power containing Hemeias’s strength.
In the end, the only one who could enter was Seong-jun, who had acquired the Essence of Hermia Jaylin.